Amarcord Restaurant (visitor reviews, restaurant web site, 104 – 1168 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone 604.681.6500) is an authentic Italian restaurant located in the upscale Yaletown district of downtown Vancouver. It has excellent service, outstanding traditional Italian dishes, and an unpretentious atmosphere. Mia Stainsby writes in the Vancouver Sun:

“Amarcord - a pleasant memory of good food, service and an Italian slice of life… The kitchen does gnocchi like nobody’s business – not too dense, just pillowy right… The tournedos of beef in a red wine sauce revealed its excellent quality when it came under the knife.”

And she wasn’t kidding about the gnocchi. I ordered the Gnocchi alla Reggiana which is soft gnocchi pasta served with Italian sausage, fresh tomato and basil sauce (pictured below, $12.95 at lunch), and this was a real treat – the sauce had just the right amount of garlic and tomato and left me wanting more. I also really enjoyed the Insalata alla Caprese, a salad made with Tomato, Bocconcini, and capers with fresh basil (also pictured below, $8.95 at lunch). Dinner prices are slightly more than lunch, around $16.95 for a pasta.

Gnocchi with Italian sausage served in a sauce made with fresh tomato, basil, and garlic.

Tomato and Bocconcini salad with fresh basil. Delicious and refreshing!

I visited the Hamilton Street Grill in Yaletown (1009 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, phone 604-331-1511) and I enjoyed their salmon special (pictured below, $16), which was delicious. More photos: view Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Bistro Sakana Japanese Restaurant (web site, 1123 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC, phone 604-633-1280) is a popular lunch (and dinner) spot in Yaletown; it’s a more upscale version of the ubiquitous family-owned Vancouver sushi restaurant, but is not as wild as some of the higher-end Izakaya or fusion Japanese restaurants. At lunch, Bistro Sakana offers healthy Japanese box combos that are cleanly and attractively presented, such as the Lunch Box A (some of which is pictured below, around $14).